A non-Jewish co-worker who was invited to a Jewish funeral asked me how long they typically are.
I told her that, thank God, I hadn't been to many, but my understanding is that they probably vary a great deal, depending on what the family wants to do.
I expect that my answer was correct but not very helpful to someone who was trying to determine how the funeral would fit into her schedule. Do you have a better response to this question? Any clues that could help someone guess ahead of time how long the funeral will be?
Answer
I have, unfortunately, been to a lot of funerals and it has been my experience with a synagogue or funeral home funeral that the length depends on how many people speak, how well known/liked the person is, etc. I've rarely been to a funeral that the service part (not going to the cemetery) was longer than an hour.
A graveside service is rarely longer than 1/2 hour. At one graveside service I went to, I was the only one besides the Rabbi who spoke -- I think the whole thing was less than 20 minutes.
Keep in mind, if you go to the burial, part of the service is shoveling dirt on the grave. That could be just ceremonial or it could be, in the case of someone well liked or well known, until all the dirt is in the grave.
I have never been to a Gentile funeral, so I really have nothing to compare it to.
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